Pelvic traction belt

ABSTRACT

A pelvic traction belt which includes a waist encircling member having one or more tensioning straps releasably connected thereto. Each strap includes hook-defining connectors carried at one end portion of the strap. The hook-defining connectors are engageable upon contact with the outer surface of the waist member and are constructed so as to resist separation from the waist member when the strap is placed under a tensioning load with the waist member being worn by a patient.

Tiite States att n91 Nohiitt Mar. 25, 1975 IPELVIC TRACTION BELT [75] Inventor: Niles L. Noblitt, Warsaw, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Orthopedic Equipment Company,

Inc., Bourbon, Ind.

22 Filed: Dec. 13, 1973 [21] Appl.No.:424,625

52 use]. 128/75, 128/DIG. 15 51 Int. Cl ..A61h 1/02 [58] Field of Search 128/75, DIG. 15, 107, 133, 128/134; 2/DlG. 6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,297,026 1/1967 Van Pelt 1. 128/133 3,577,986 5/1971 Regent 128/107 3,587,570 6/1971 Kilbey 128/75 3,797,483 3/1974 Feldmzm 128/75 Primary E.mnziner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Oltsch & Knoblock [57] ABSTRACT A, pelvic traction belt which includes a waist encircling member having one or more tensioning straps releasably connected thereto. Each strap includes hookdefining connectors carried at one end portion of the strap. The hook-defining connectors are engageable upon contact with the outer surface of the waist member and are constructed so as to resist separation from the waist member when the strap is placed under a tensioning load with the waist member being worn by a patient.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] MAR 2 51975 PATENTEDHARZSIQYS SHEET 2 (1F 2 PELVIC TRACTION BELT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to an orthopedic device and has specific application to an improved traction belt which is positionable around the waist of a patient and through which tension bymeans of tractive forces can be applied to the pelvic area of the patient.

The improved pelvic traction belt of this invention includes a waist encircling member having an outer face formed of fabric-defining catch means. A strap, which is adapted to be connected to a weight or similar tensioning means, carries hook-defining means at one end which are engageable upon contact with the catch means of the waist member and which serve to releasably connect the strap to the waist member. Such hookdefining means is of a pad construction which has a central portion and which also includes parts extending radially outwardly from the central portion thereof. The strap is connected to the pad at its central portion with the outwardly extending parts of the pad serving to resist separation of the strap from the waist member when the strap is placed under a tensioning load and the waist member is secured about a patient.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a pelvic traction belt having one or more releasable straps which can be applied to a waist encircling member in a variety of positions and which resist separation from the waist member during rolling and turning of the patient as a tensioning load is applied to the straps.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pelvic traction belt which affords a patient a maximum degree of comfort while allowing a physician to apply tensive forces to the pelvic area of the patient in a simple and rapid manner.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the inventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the pelvic traction belt of this invention as it would be applied to a patient.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the traction belt of FIG. 1 shown in its extended form.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of that portion of FIG. 2 enclosed within broken line 3.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the upper end of one of the strap divergent end parts of the traction belt shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view like FIG. 5 of the upper end of one of the strap divergent end parts shown in modified form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments illustrated are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

The pelvic traction belt illustrated in. FIGS. 1-5 includes a waist member 10 to which are releasably secured two straps 12. Waist member 10 is adapted to en tener and which is described circle the waist of a patient and is of a flexible, preferably light weight construction. Waist member 10 includes an upper edge 14, a lower edge 16, an inner face 18 and an outer face 20. Outer face 20 of member 10 is formed of a woven fabric having a plurality of catchdefining external loops 22 formed therein, as best seen in FIG. 5. Waist member 10 includes end parts 24 and 26 which overlap and releasably interlockto snugly secure the member about the patients waist with inner face 18 thereof positioned against the patient. Stays which extend from upper edge 14 to lower edge 16 of waist member 10 may be sewn into the member to provide transverse rigidity.

Each strap 12 includes divergent parts 30 which are connected by a link 32 to a leg part 34. Each strap leg part 34 is adapted, such as by a suitablebuckle 35, for

connection to a weight or other tensioning means. End

36 of each of the divergent parts 30 of strap 12 carries a pad 38 of hook parts 40. Pad 38 and its hook parts 40 may form what is basically known as a Velcro fasin US. Pat. No. 3,009,235. Each pad 38 includes a central portion 42 and a plurality of angularly spaced arm parts 44 which extend radially outwardly from the pad central portion. Arm parts 44 are at least three and preferably four in number and are equal radially spaced apart. Hook parts 40 are located at the inner face of each pad 38. End 36 of each strap 12 is anchored to the'outer face of a pad 38 at itscentral portion 42. In the illustrated embodiment, each pad 38 is formed by overlapping right angularly disposed strips of Velcro fastening material which define arm parts 44 of pad 38 and to which end 36 of a strap 12 is stitched at 46 where the strips overlap. Each divergent end part 30 of straps 12 is preferably designed to extend at approximately a 45 angle to arm parts 44.

In some constructions ofthis invention, the hook part carrying pad to which an end 36 of a strap 12 is anchored may be of a square, rectangular, or disk shape with the end 36 of the strap being secured at the approximate geographical center of the pad only, inwardly spaced from the peripheral edges of the pad.

When pads 38 are pressed against the loop-defining outer face 20 of waist member 10, the hook parts 40 of the pads releasably interlock with the loops 22 on outer face 20 to secure straps 12 to the waist member. Each strap 12 is shiftable about its anchored end 36 relative to the arm parts 44 of its connected pad 38. The ability of each strap 16 to flex, twist and otherwise move rela tive to its anchored end 36 and to the waist member and fixed arm parts 44 ofthe pad serves to prevent separation of the straps 12 from the waist member as the patient rolls and turns in bed. Tests have shown that for a 5 lb. tension load the straps secured to a waist encircling member by the inverted T-shaped Velcro fastening means disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 262,535, filed June 14, 1972, will separate from the waist member when twisted or turned through an angle of approximately to while the straps 12 of the traction belt of this invention would not separate from waist member 10 when twisted through a 720 angle or two complete revolutions. Thus, the pelvic traction belt in FIGS. 1-5 will allow a physician or attendant to position divergent parts 30 of each strap 12 at any selected location and in nearly any selected orientation on waist member 10 in a simple and rapid manner by firmly pressing each pad 38 against the outer face 20 of the waist member with a reasonable assurancethat twisting, turning and rolling movement of the patient when a tractive force has been applied to straps 12 will not cause dislocation of the straps from the waist member.

In FIG. 6, end 36 of each strap 12 is shown connected to a pad 38 in a modified manner. Here strap end 36 is pivotally anchored to a pad 38 by means of a rivet 48. The overlapping strips of pad 38 which form arm parts 44 are secured together by rivet 48 which is stitched at 51 to the strips at central portion 42 of the pad. A grommet 52 is carried by strap end 36 with rivet 48 extending with clearance through the grommet.

It is to be understood thatthe invention is not to be limited to the details above given but may be modified within the scopeof the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pelvic traction belt including 21 waist encircling member, said member having top and bottom edges and inner and outer faces,.rneans for securing said member about the waist of a patient with said inner face being positioned against the patient, a strap, said strap having one end means for connection to a tensioning means and having an opposite end means used to releasably connect said strap to said member at its outer face, the outer face of said member having portions thereof formed of fabric-defining catch means,

- said strap opposite end means carrying hook-defining means engageable with said catch means for releasably securing said strap to the outer face of said member, the improvement wherein said hook-defining means includes a pad having a central portion and a peripheral outer edge means extending about said central portion, said outer edge means being radially spaced from said central portion, said strap opposite end means being anchored to said pad central portion and being shiftable relative to the outer edge means of said pad and that section of said pad extending between said central portion and the outer edge means thereof, said pad section being utilized to resist separation of said strap from said member when said strap is under a tensioning load and said member is secured about the waist of said patient, said pad including at least three equal angularly spaced arm parts extending radially outwardly from said central portion, said strap opposite end means lying in substantially the same plane as said arm parts, the remainder of said strap including said one end means projecting between two of the said spaced arm parts.

2. The traction belt of claim 1 wherein said pad arm parts are four in number.

3. The traction belt of claim 2 wherein said pad includes a first strip and a second strip overlapping said first strip at a right angle, means joining said first and second strips where said second strip overlaps said first strip, said first and second strips defining said pad central portion and arm parts.

4. The traction belt of claim 1 wherein said catch means includes woven fibers, said pad including hooks adapted to releasably interlock said woven fibers.

5. The traction belt of claim 1 and including another strap releasably mounted to said member.

6. The traction belt of claim 5 wherein each strap in cludes a pair of said opposite end means, each pair of opposite end means being generally V-shaped and secured by a said pad to said member at the outer face thereof.

7. A pelvic traction belt including a waist encircling member, said member having top and bottom edges and inner and outer faces, means for securing said member about the waist of a patient with said inner face being positioned against the patient, a strap, said strap having one end means for connection to a tensioning means and having an opposite end means used to releasably connect said strap to said member at its outer face, the outer face of said member having portions thereof formed of fabric-defining catch means, said strap opposite end means carrying hook-defining means engageable with said catch means for releasably securing said strap to the outer face of said member, the improvement wherein said hook-defining means includes a pad having a central portion and a peripheral outer edge means extending about said central portion, said outer edge means being radially spaced from said central portion, said strap opposite end means being anchored to said pad central portion and being shiftable relative to the outer edge ,means of said pad and that section of said pad extending between said central portion and the outer edge means thereof, said pad section being utilized to resist separation of said strap from said member when said strap is under a tensioning load and said member is secured about the waist of said patient, said pad having an inner face and an outer face, said pad inner face contacting the outer face of said member at said pad section, means pivotally connecting said strap opposite end means to said pad central portion at said pad outer face. 

1. A pelvic traction belt including a waist encircling member, said member having top and bottom edges and inner and outer faces, means for securing said member about the waist of a patient with said inner face being positioned against the patient, a strap, said strap having one end means for connection to a tensioning means and having an opposite end means used to releasably connect said strap to said member at its outer face, the outer face of said member having portions thereof formed of fabric-defining catch means, said strap opposite end means carrying hook-defining means engageable with said catch means for releasably securing said strap to the outer face of said member, the improvement wherein said hook-defining means includes a pad having a central portion and a peripheral outer edge means extending about said central portion, said outer edge means being radially spaced from said central portion, said strap opposite end means being anchored to said pad central portion and being shiftable relative to the outer edge means of said pad and that section of said pad extending between said central portion and the outer edge means thereof, said pad section being utilized to resist separation of said strap from said member when said strap is under a tensioning load and said member is secured about the waist of said patient, said pad including at least three equal angularly spaced arm parts extending radially outwardly from said central portion, said strap opposite end means lying in substantially the same plane as said arm parts, the remainder of said strap including said one end means projecting between two of the said spaced arm parts.
 2. The traction belt of claim 1 wherein said pad arm parts are four in number.
 3. The traction belt of claim 2 wherein said pad includes a first strip and a second strip overlapping said first strip at a right angle, means joining said first and second strips where said second strip overlaps said first strip, said first and second strips defining said pad central portion and arm parts.
 4. The traction belt of claim 1 wherein said catch means includes woven fibers, said pad including hooks adapted to releasably interlock said woven fibers.
 5. The traction belt of claim 1 and including another strap releasably mounted to said member.
 6. The traction belt of claim 5 wherein each strap includes a pair of said opposite end means, each pair of opposite end means being generally V-shaped and secured by a said pad to said member at the outer face thereof.
 7. A pelvic traction belt including a waist encircling member, said member having top and bottom edges and inner and outer faces, means for securing said member about the waist of a patient with said inner face being positioned against the patient, a strap, said strap having one end means for connection to a tensioning means and having an opposite end means used to releasably connect said strap to said member at its outer face, the outer face of said member having portions thereof formed of fabric-defining catch means, said strap opposite end means carrying hook-defining means engageable with said catch means for releasably securing said strap to the outer face of said member, the improvement wherein said hook-defining means includes a pad having a central portion and a peripheral outer edge means extending about said central portion, said outer edge means being radially spaced from said central porTion, said strap opposite end means being anchored to said pad central portion and being shiftable relative to the outer edge means of said pad and that section of said pad extending between said central portion and the outer edge means thereof, said pad section being utilized to resist separation of said strap from said member when said strap is under a tensioning load and said member is secured about the waist of said patient, said pad having an inner face and an outer face, said pad inner face contacting the outer face of said member at said pad section, means pivotally connecting said strap opposite end means to said pad central portion at said pad outer face. 